Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Chocolate mousse is a surprisingly easy "fancy" dessert you can make for your Valentine's dinner. This video recipe shows my favorite basic chocolate mousse recipe, with the addition of a little dash of chipotle pepper - which really does some strange and wonderful things.

If you look back at the history of chocolate, it was certainly not enjoyed as the sweet treat we think of today. The Maya and Aztecs cultures both used the cacao beans, but they were most often fermented and made into a very bitter drink, often flavored with chili peppers.

So, unless you're dating a 3,000-year-old Mayan Goddess, I suggest something more along the lines of this modern chocolate mousse recipe, which still pays homage to the ancient spicy flavoring. You will be pleasantly surprised by how just a tiny dash of the hot, bittersweet spice brings out the full complexity of the chocolate.

Of course, I know that many of you just won't be able to pull the trigger. It just seems wrong to your culinary sensibilities, and that's all right. It's not really that big a deal. But, in one last attempt to convince you to give it a try, I will tell you that the Aztecs considered this chocolate chili concoction to be quite a powerful aphrodisiac.

If spicy peppers aren’t your thing, you can alter this recipe in more conventional ways with things like orange zest, or extracts like almond, coffee, and mint. One last tip, there's no need to sweeten the whipped cream garnish. The contrast of the plain, rich cream and the sweet, decadent chocolate underneath is a magical mix you don't want to mess with. Enjoy!

Thanks chef. Inspired as always! Made your pollo en crema and mexican rice last weekend, and that had to be some of the best leftovers ever all mixed together. Wife loved it too.

Had one issue though that I will also have with this recipe tonight -- no chipotle chili powder at the local store. Substituted cayenne with last week's meal, but I imagine the difference will be more pronounced with the mousse. I know, I know - I should experiment and let you know how it turns out. But being valentines day, any advice for the best substitution (e.g., cayenne, regular chili power, other) from the more seasoned palates out there will be much appreciated. Thanks!

The white specs someone mentioning, I'm not seeing them, maybe a reflection of the light? Anyway- I wish I had followed this recipe, I did it my own way ,turned out like chocolate grits. Next time I'll do it Chef John's way.

I certainly will attempt this lovely creation at my house this weekend. I will, however, need to at least double the servings. Does this recipe double or triple in direct proportions, or are there ratios involved?

And I do Thank You, sir, for giving these wonderful recipes away to us AND for the time, effort, prep, and cleanup you put into the videos.

While I was at work today I abruptly decided to make this dessert for a dinner party I had tonight - got home at about 5.20pm, whipped it up in about 10-15mins, chucked it in the freezer for an hour while the guests arrived, made the no-knead pizza for the main event (a real crowd pleaser as usual) and then put the mousse back in the fridge until we were ready to eat it. As far as I can tell, it was at a perfectly mousse-like texture, i.e. fully set, so... Basically if you don't get a chance to chill it overnight, you can still serve it using this freezer method. Thanks again for the great recipe!

Hey Chef John, the recipe says 1 tablespoons of sugar but it looks like you put in more? When you say 1 tablespoons plural it sounds like you meant maybe be 2 tablespoons? it looks like you put in more than 1 tablespoon. I can't mess this up for Valentines day!

Could you be so kind as to show us how to make a chocolate mousse cake? I tried making it using your chocolate mousse recipe ( i doubled the measurements). However when i tried to cut it, the whole cake collapsed and melted.

I doubled this recipe, except for the chipotle, to fit into a 9" pie dish. Very good stuff and the heat after a couple of bites was quite a conversation starter.Thank you for the great video. I played it a couple of times while preparing it.

hi.Can i use chili powder to substitute the chipotle? what do you mean by 1/2 cup plus 1 tblespoon of heavy whipping cream? is it 1/2 cup and add another 1 tbspoon of heavy whipping cream? Is there a different between heavy whipping cream and heavy cream?

Hi Chef John, approximately what size are the ramekins? Is it alright to use a mixer to whip the cream? Also, is it possible to use light whipping cream to replace the heavy cream? If so, any idea how much of whipping cream I should use? Thank you!

hi chef john,i made dis previously n failed...too much water i think but de tste is good though...tonight im making it again for tomorrow pot luck wif my best fren..but i found tat only can get 3 ramekins...n i can't fold nicely like wat u did...its a bit dry dis time...but hopefully it'll turn out great tomorrow...anyway 10s for ur recipe..

I was wondering, wouldn't the chocolate end up seizing because of the water? I tried this one recipe before where I melted the chocolate with water and it ended up completely seizing on me :( Or does the butter stop the seizing?

Chef,would you please explain the difference between your recipe and ones that call for whipped egg whites in terms of taste and texture.Yours looks richer and I like the fact that you cooked the yolks this way even pregnant women can enjoy this wonderful dessert.Thank you!

not sure why, but i added a bit more butter to the chocolate, about a tablespoon more (so 2 tablespoons total) because it did not look like yours. After it all melted, it was too runny, it wasn't velvety.

I just finished making this with my sister. The mousse is sitting in the fridge for tomorrow. My sister, who is 18 and very conscious about what she eats, has just licked both the spatula and the bowl clean. She loves it and now loves me a bit more too! Haha. Thanks, Chef. Your recipes inspire me to cook.

Hey Chef John, i've been making alot of your delicious chocolate valentines day desserts and other recipes. And i've wondered since im in europe, how much is "1 cup" i got it to match with 200ML. Love your videos and your voice :)- Alexander 17 From Denmark

im making it right now for valentines day! so far so good! and as for the white bits someone said they saw in the chocolate mixture at 28 sec it looks like the salt "he forgot" or a little bit of sugar he maybe went to add to the chocolate and caught himself. :) im very excited!!!! thank you!

Whisking that whipping cream was insanely hard...and I used milk chocolate instead. I don't think it's going to come out very good. At the end my mixture was not very thick, it was still pretty runny. But here's hoping. Any tips on and easier way to whip the cream? And does milk chocolate create a different consistency than dark?

When you say dark chocolate bar do you mean bittersweet or unsweetened? If bittersweet, what percentage of cacao works best, for example 60% or 70% cacao, or some other percent? Also, is there a brand of chocolate bar that you like best?

I am such a big FAN!!! Even though I love my Chef and think he is great but i still keep following your blog, and following you on Youtube.

I work in the customer side of the biggest (maybe the best) Patisserie in Bahrain.

I'm making this recipe for my daughter's birthday party. If I remember right it was good for 4 servings only. I need to make it for 20pax. So I would like to ask you if I should make it in small portions one by one as your recipe or simply multiply the ingredients by 5 and make it once?

Hey Chef John. Thanks so much for the recipe! Chipotle chilli was incredible. It even converted my partner, who doesn't like mousse. Quick question. When melting my chocolate in the double broiler, the first time it turned into a chunky dry mess. Not the creamy version you have on the video. My guess is I over mixed it. What do you think? Suggestions?Cheers,Dave

Just thought I would let the viewers know - I tried this recipe but used white chocolate instead of dark. Turned out amazing. The only changes I made were to omit the butter (the white chocolate was buttery enough) and I used less water because I made it the filling for chocolate cake. Outstanding.